Rise of the Sinnoh Saviors
by HopelessRomantic1020
Summary: In a world where the evil Team Galactic controls most of Sinnoh, a young girl named Mira will join forces with several other extraordinary individuals to reclaim their home and learn that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Rated T to be safe!
1. A Fateful Encounter

Mira ran as fast as she could through the rainy streets of Jubilife City. She had only just barely managed to escape the clutches of Team Galactic, and she knew they were hot on her trail. Once a virtually crime-free city, Jubilife was one of many locations in Sinnoh that had fallen to Team Galactic's rule in its ruthless quest for energy and power. Indeed, this nefarious organization was not above sacrificing humans and Pokémon alike in order to accomplish their scientific goals, and Mira was unlucky enough to not have either to protect her. The more fortunate victims of Team Galactic would be outright killed before being experimented on; many of them were not so lucky. Not even children were safe from these heinous fiends, and now Mira found herself desperately searching for a place to hide. Nobody would let her into their homes for fear of being attacked by Team Galactic. Running low on options, the pink-haired girl dashed into a dark alleyway and quickly hid inside a damp and discarded cardboard box, silently praying to Arceus that they wouldn't find her.

"She's got to be around here somewhere," a teal-haired man in an odd spacesuit-like uniform crept down the sidewalk near the alleyway, two other grunts nearby. "Keep looking!"

"I don't get it," one of the other grunts spoke up, sounding rather bored. "She's just a dumb little kid. What does the boss need with her?"

"That 'dumb little kid' could very well be one of those super-powered freaks trying to stand in our way," The first grunt stated irritably. "If we let even one of them get away, they could become a serious threat to Team Galactic in the future. So no one leaves here without her!

Mira's eyes widened. Super-powered freaks? It was true that several unusual cases had been reported in the past few years in which humans developed special powers akin to those of Pokémon, but Mira's mother always dismissed them as rumors. Deep down inside, however, a small part of Mira always wanted to believe otherwise. She wanted to believe that heroes really did exist in this damaged world.

"Hey," one of the grunts said to his comrades, motioning toward the alley. "The brat must be in there. Her tiny little legs couldn't have carried her any further."

Mira could hear everything they were saying, and she knew they were right. She really was just a little kid despite all of her talk about wanting to go on adventures and whatnot. Even though she could easily do so by sneaking out of the house, it wasn't exactly something that she should be doing. In fact, it more often than not landed the little girl into big trouble. Mira held her breath as she heard footsteps becoming closer and closer and various discarded objects being turned over. The footsteps became closer and closer until they finally stopped… Right in front of the box. The grunt smirked, silently signaling his cohorts to his side. "Well, boys, we've lost her. That little girl is quite the champion of hide-and-seek! I guess we better head on back to Headquarters and tell the boss that we screwed up big time," he exclaimed in an almost comical voice. Mira mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

'Good, they haven't noticed me. Now as soon as they leave I can just try to sneak back ho-'

"But first!" the boisterous voice continued. "Why don't we see what's under Box Number One?"

 _Crap._

This was it, she thought. This was the end of her short little life as a seemingly normal little girl. They would find her and take her to their creepy laboratory and do horrible things to her like she was some sort of thing to be poked and prodded with various tools until she eventually died. "I'm sorry, Mom," Mira whispered softly to herself, desperately fighting back tears. "I should have listened…"

Suddenly, she heard a rough thud, almost as if someone had jumped from a great height and landed on something – or someone – to cushion the fall. What followed next was what sounded like fighting and cries of pain that quickly died out. Mira shut her eyes tightly as a tall figure lifted up the cardboard box and threw it aside. Opening an eye cautiously, the girl was surprised to see that it was not a member of Team Galactic, but a man in a peculiar blue suit and hat. The man stared down at her with warm, gentle eyes, kneeling down to better make eye contact with the girl. "Are you alright?" He asked softly, his voice showing concern. Mira blinked in shock before nodding quickly. Seeing this made the man give off a relieved smile that oddly set Mira at ease. "What's your name, kiddo?" The stranger inquired.

"M-Mira," the girl responded, blushing slightly. She was told to steer clear of strangers, but this one gave off an aura of goodness.

"I see," the man mused, staring at the wall for a few moments. "And you're lost, aren't you Mira?"

The pink-haired girl once again nodded. "I'm not even sure how to get home," she sniffed. Whether it was from a close call with death or general homesickness, Mira didn't know.

"Well, we should at least get you out of the rain and somewhere warm and dry," the man stated. "And I know just the place. We'll look for your parents in the morning, but it's imperative that we find better shelter than a cardboard box."

"'Imperative'?" Mira questioned. The girl was barely ten years of age, so there were many words unknown to her.

"Never mind," the man sighed with a weary smile, standing tall and offering the girl his hand to help her off the ground.

"Thank you, Mister…" Mira trailed off.

"Riley," the man said with a friendly grin as if he sensed her confusion.

"Riley," the girl repeated. "I like it!"

"I'm glad you do," Riley laughed as he held Mira's hand and led her off of the dangerous streets of Jubilife City and to a nice and warm place she could stay for the time being. As the duo began chatting and becoming more familiar with each other, they did not notice a hand twitching in the darkness of the alleyway, reaching for a phone-like device. The hand snaked its way to the device before dialing a number and raising it to its owner's face.

"C-Commander Saturn," a voice croaked out in a hoarse whisper. "It's him… He's returned… And he has the girl…"

"I see," a sinister voice mused on the other end of the device, belonging to a blue-haired man with oddly-shaped hair. "This is most disappointing. Fear not, however. Though you have failed to capture the girl, I can assure you that your death shall not be in vain."

"N-No… I'm still… still alive… P-Please! I beg of y-"

Before the grunt could finish, Saturn produced a small device with a red switch on it from his pocket and unceremoniously flipped the switch. A large surge of electricity coursed through the grunt's convulsing body until he no longer moved. A cold smile of satisfaction came to the Commander's face as the line went dead. Setting the device down, his face became emotionless once more as he turned to his leader sitting in a magnificent chair, his back turned to Saturn. "My apologies, Master Cyrus. The girl has escaped our grunts," the commander stated wearily, hoping his boss wouldn't take it so poorly.

"Temporarily," came the reply.

"Pardon?"

"She has _temporarily_ escaped us. We will capture her and the rest of her kind in due time, Saturn," Cyrus stated in a chillingly monotonous voice, turning his chair to face his second-in-command. Saturn gulped and nodded to his superior. "In the meantime," the boss continued, "there is more work to be done elsewhere. Rally our forces in Eterna City. It is time."

"Yes, Master Cyrus," Saturn obliged. With a wave of his hand, Cyrus dismissed his underling and turned his chair back around, gazing out the window of his office and into the night sky.

"You can run, Mira," he droned, picking up a Poké Ball and gazing at it momentarily before crushing it in the palm of his hand. "But you can't hide."

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 **Hello fans of Pokemon! As you can probably tell, this is my first attempt at a superhero story of sorts. It's an idea that's been stuck in my head for nearly a year now, and I always thought that the Stat Trainers from D/P/Pt/HG/SS (Cheryl, Mira, Riley, Buck, Marley) could use a bit more love on this site. Some of you may be familiar with my other "main" story, So Glad You're Safe. I know updates haven't been very quick lately, and I apologize for that. However, writing this first chapter has somehow come more easily to me than the more recent chapters of SGYS. That's not to say I won't be continuing SGYS, just that I'm having a bit of an author's struggle with further developing that story. If anyone has any questions, comments, criticism, etc., feel free to review either story or PM me! I'd greatly appreciate hearing everyone's input. :) Until next time!**


	2. Forest Frenzy

" _But mooooom!"_

" _No, Mira. It's just too dangerous for a girl your age."_

 _The pink-haired girl let out a disappointed groan and flopped onto her back dramatically. "This isn't fair! All of the other kids get to go have adventures with their Pokémon!"_

" _That's because they're all older and actually have Pokémon, Mira," the girl's mother explained calmly, though the strained look on her face suggested she was growing irritated._

" _So? And besides," Mira argued, "I have Kadabra with me!"_

" _The same Kadabra that was unable to teleport you back home when you got lost in Wayward Cave?"_

" _That was one time!"_

" _One time too many," Mira's mother stated, her voice sounding grave. "Besides, even if Kadabra could properly protect you, who's to say that it would be any match for that awful Team Galactic? Or even a simple thug on the streets?"_

" _Kadabra can protect me just fine," the pink-haired girl protested. "And besides, just because you're too scared of Team Galactic to even step outside doesn't mean that I have to be!"_

 _It was true that Mira's mother lived in fear of Team Galactic ever since her husband had gone missing and that she'd been trying to raise her daughter to not be so reckless, but the words still stung nonetheless. To think, her own daughter…_

" _That's quite enough, Mira," her mother responded coldly. "You've asked me a thousand times and the answer will never change. You are simply not to wander around on your own!"_

 _Mira couldn't take it anymore._

" _Ugh! You're the worst mother ever! I hate you!" she cried, tears now flowing from her eyes as she got up from the dinner table and ran to her room, shutting the door loudly. Mira's mother sighed and let her face fall into her hands. She couldn't blame her daughter for being the adventurous little kid she was, but… She just couldn't understand. Was it so wrong to be so protective of her only daughter in such a time of peril? Even now, Team Galactic had established their presence in multiple cities in the Sinnoh region. It was only a matter of time until they came here._

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As Mira awoke, she felt herself being carried in someone's arms. Her eyes nearly jolted open in shock before she realized that it was only Riley, the kind man who had rescued her from those Galactic goons, and settled down.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead," he chimed with a friendly smile. "Are you alright? I noticed you seemed to fidget a bit in your sleep."

"It's nothing," Mira spoke softly, rubbing her eyes. "Just a bad dream…"

"Hmm. Well, there's not much I can do about bad dreams, but I can tell you that we've almost reached the Eterna Forest."

"Eterna Forest?" Mira asked warily. "You mean… where the Old Chateau is?"

The man chuckled a bit. "Well, yes, but we certainly don't have to go there if it frightens you."

"Actually… I'd kinda like to see it," the girl perked up. Even though they were supposed to be looking for a way to get Mira home, the pink-haired girl still wanted to see what her home region had to offer. Even after being chased down by those thugs in what could have very well been her last escapade, the spirit of adventure within her never backed down. Besides, with Riley protecting her now, what could go wrong?

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. Hearing this, Riley instantly quickened his pace and held Mira to his chest protectively. The duo eventually arrived at the entrance of the forest, where a young boy was all but freaking out.

"What's wrong?" Riley asked.

"I… I saw it!" the boy screamed, eyes wide open in fear.

It was now Mira's turn to ask. "What's 'it'?"

"It was green and slender… Like it was made out of vines or something," the young trainer shuddered. "It snatched up a dozen Galactics with its arms and strung them up like puppets! I swear I've never seen a more sinister Pokémon…"

"I see…" Riley muttered, staring off into the forest. The treetops practically touched the sky; it was easy to get lost in there. Realizing that whatever was in there could be a serious threat, Riley put Mira down and she stood next to the boy. "I'm going to take a look around. Stay here with him, Mira."

"What?"

"If what he's saying is true, whatever is in there is serious business. I can't risk you getting hurt."

"But-"

"Mira, no. Please," Riley cut her off. "Just stay put until I get back, okay? If I don't get back in twenty minutes, I need you to run to the nearest Pokémon Center and fetch help."

Before the pink-haired girl could argue any further, the man in the blue suit took off into the forest, running at an almost superhuman speed.

Sighing, Mira plopped onto the ground. Not this again…

"So, your name's Mira?"

"That's right," she replied in a chipper tone of voice. "And your name?"

"Joey," the boy replied with a smile, shaking her hand. Mira couldn't help but notice how red Joey's face was and how sweaty his hand seemed... Speaking of which, he still hadn't let go.

"Er…" the girl hesitated, awkwardly freeing her hand from Joey's grip and wiping it on her shorts. "Right. So… Caught any Rattata lately?"

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Riley slowly and quietly crept through the forest, keeping an eye out for anything particularly suspicious. Looking all around him to make sure no one was watching, Riley took a deep breath as his eyes began to glow a deep azure. Tapping into his aura vision, he was able to see the spiritual energy of every living thing in the forest. Among the abundant plant life, Riley was able to make out several aura signatures belonging to humanoids in the treetops. Treading onward with caution, the man eventually found several unmoving Team Galactic grunts hanging from vines in the treetops, now looking very much like puppets on strings.

"At least they're still alive…"

Suddenly, Riley heard a twig snap behind him. Turning around quickly, Riley saw nothing but the flora surrounding him. Then he heard rustling behind him. Again, the man turned to find nothing behind him. Even with his aura vision, he couldn't seem to spot anything… Just the aura of the plants in the forest.

"Is this some kind of sick prank?" Riley questioned aloud. That was when it hit him. Literally. Riley felt something charge into him and knock him off his feet, sending him tumbling to the ground before forming several Grass Knots around his wrists and feet. Opening his eyes, he could see the slender figure before him, indeed looking as if it was made almost entirely of vines with some bark and moss scattered about its form. A bulb had sprouted where the creature's head should have been, and it had a gem in the middle of it that seemed to glow with power.

"What the hell…?"

Suddenly, Riley felt a vine snare around his neck as he was lifted from the ground. With no time to think, Riley's hands flew to the vine and began to glow with aura. Within seconds, the entirety of the vine was disintegrated by Riley's flaming aura. The vine creature let out an unnervingly human-like scream before swinging a thick branch-like appendage into the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Vines snaked their way around Riley's ankles and lifted him up into the air, hanging him upside down. The more he struggled to get free, the more the vines traveled down his body and bound his limbs together. Opening his eyes, Riley could see that the strange creature was now walking towards him. As it did so, the vines comprising its right arm began to shift and tighten around each other until they formed the shape of a hammer.

' _Crap,'_ Riley thought. This was going to hurt.

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 _'What's taking him so long?'_ Mira pondered in her head, pacing back and forth outside the forest entrance. It had felt like hours and Riley still hadn't returned. The little girl knew Riley had told her to go get help, but it seemed wrong to just leave him in there! Especially considering that he had risked his own life earlier by saving her from Team Galactic…

Mira shook the thoughts from her head and looked at the path ahead with a determined expression on her face. She was going in after him.


	3. A Disarming Discovery

"What?! You can't just go in after him!" Joey cried.

"I have to!" Mira argued. "Riley's my friend! He risked his life for me. How could I call myself his friend if I weren't willing to do the same? I'm not asking you to come with me, but if you-"

Looking around, the pink-haired girl could see that Joey was already running as far as humanly possible from the forest entrance. "Sorry, Mira," he called over his shoulder. "I'm not ready to die yet!"

"Coward!" Mira huffed. "Oh well. Riley needs me and I'm gonna be there for him!"

Not one to waste words, the girl sprinted into the forest, calling out for her older companion.

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Riley grunted as he felt a thick vine slam into his midsection, causing him to fly backwards into a tree. As the strange forest creature began closing in on him, Riley wiped a bit of blood from his mouth. Glancing at the crimson liquid on his sleeve, he remembered something that his grandfather had once told him while training him to be an Aura Guardian.

" _Now, Riley. As you take more damage in combat, your aura abilities increase in power. But beware! If you take too much damage, they may backfire horribly and drain you of your life essence! Fufufu…"_

In hindsight, Riley wasn't exactly sure _how_ fit his grandfather was to teach him, nor if he was even completely sane. Regardless, there couldn't be a better time to test out that theory. As several more vines came flying towards him, Riley outstretched his hands in front of his body and conjured an aura barrier that destroyed the vines on contact. While the forest creature was momentarily stunned in confusion, Riley leapt into the air and fired an Aura Sphere attack directly at the shining gem on the creature's head. Once again, it let out a humanlike shriek of pain, causing Riley to pause. _'What on earth…?'_

"Riley! Where are you!?"

"Wha-? Mira!?"

' _Damnit,'_ Riley thought. _'I thought I told her to stay pu-'_

Suddenly, the man was knocked out of his thoughts by a Wood Hammer attack to the stomach, dropping to his knees in pain. "Gah!"

"Riley!" Mira gasped. She had finally caught up and words could not describe her shock at the scene playing out before her. True to what Joey had claimed, there was indeed a strange creature in Eterna Forest, one that looked to be neither human nor Pokémon. Whatever this thing was, it had injured Riley pretty badly from what Mira could see. Without thinking, she sprinted forward and stood between the beast and Riley, her arms spread as if to protect them both. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"

The creature paused briefly, as if to contemplate the small girl's words, before letting out another hideous wail and swatting the girl aside roughly. Mira grunted in pain as she was knocked onto her back, causing Riley to gasp in concern before looking at the creature with a new feeling now building inside of him. With a mighty roar, the guardian leapt to his feet and tackled his adversary head on, actually managing to knock it off of its "feet". Sitting up, Mira could see that Riley was now lying on top of the creature and pounding away at its frame with aura-coated fists, dealing more and more damage to the monster's exterior with each blow. This continued for a few moments until the creature's leafy appendages stopped moving and it became still, no longer having the will to fight. Seeing this, Riley slowed his hits to a halt while panting in exhaustion. He noticed that the odd stone in the creature's head had stopped glowing and was now almost completely covered in moss, making it almost impossible to differentiate it from the rest of the creature. Riley and Mira glanced at each other briefly before the former slowly reached for the stone and carefully removed it from its place.

"What… is it?" Mira inquired, her eyes never leaving the object. Examining it carefully and noticing its "cool to the touch" texture, Riley immediately drew a conclusion.

"This must be a Moss Rock," he claimed. "Eevee use this to evolve into Leafeon, but just what could this creature possibly want it for?"

"Pro… tect…"

Riley and Mira both froze instantly as they heard a raspy voice behind them. The duo slowly turned around and saw the creature still lying on the forest ground, its green parts now turning brown. Riley cautiously approached the creature and asked, "Did you just speak?"

"Must… protect… the for…est…"

"Huh?" Mira asked. "It was protecting… the forest?"

Suddenly, the creature let out a horrible screech, causing Riley to jump backwards and hold Mira behind him protectively. It shook and shuddered as its mossy exterior dried up entirely, the bark on its body now chipping and breaking away only to reveal a woman with green hair and similarly colored attire underneath it. Her eyes were closed, as if she was sleeping, and her chest heaved with each breath.

"That beast… was a woman?" Riley questioned. It wasn't as if he was embarrassed to have been beaten by a girl; he just had a hard time believing that there was a girl underneath all of that plant life at all. A rather pretty girl, at that. Shaking his head, Riley kneeled down and took the girl's pulse, not liking what he was sensing.

"Riley… Is she gonna be okay?"

"She's gonna be just fine, Mira," the man reassured with a smile, though he wasn't completely sure he believed what he was saying. "But not if we leave her out here in the forest. We need to get out of here and take her to the Pokémon Center in Eterna City."

"Right," Mira spoke with a small, determined grin.

Gently cradling the woman in his arms, Riley stood up and began to walk down the road, his younger companion close behind him.

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"Hold it right there, sir."

"Wha-?"

Riley was stunned. Never in all his travels had this happened before. A group of Galactic grunts stood in a row, blocking off the path to Eterna City with their bodies.

"Excuse me," Riley began politely, "my friend here is quite sick. May we move on ahead to Eterna?"

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that, sir," one grunt replied. "This city is off-limits until further notice."

"But… Why?" Mira questioned. Even though she was young, she was old enough to know that these bowl-cut clowns were bad news.

"Apparently, there was a skirmish deeper in the forest a few hours ago. Quite a few of our cadets went missing and have yet to return," another grunt answered. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this little incident, would you?"

"Can't say that I do," Riley fibbed.

"Oh really now?"

A grunt got out of the row and approached Mira calmly, looking straight into her eyes with a smile "And what about you, little girl? Do you know what happened?"

Mira gulped nervously, but shook her head.

"A likely story, isn't it boys?"

The grunts let out a sinister chuckle and began to step forward, never breaking formation.

" _Mira,"_ Riley spoke telepathically.

" _Wha-? How are you doing that?"_

" _I'll explain later. These guys aren't gonna let us by and by the looks of things, they mean serious trouble. On the count of three, we'll have to run back deeper into the forest, okay?"_

" _What!? No!"_

" _One…"_

" _Riley, I swear…"_

" _Two…"_

" _Seriously?"_

"… _Three!"_

Despite her protests, Mira ran from the scene as fast as she could, Riley running beside her with the forest woman slung over his shoulder.

"After them!"

As expected, the grunts gave chase to our heroes, brandishing what appeared to be electrified nightsticks. Mira's eyes widened at the thought of being caught and struck with one of those dastardly weapons. Suddenly, Riley grabbed Mira's hand and pulled her up into his free arm, sprinting towards a large mansion in the distance. The pink-haired girl shut her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around Riley's neck so he wouldn't drop her as the grunts could be heard not too far behind them.

"Over there! They're headed towards the Old Chateau!"

"What!? Haven't they heard the legend? You'd have to be a fool to go in there!"

"Fool or not, if they're going in there, _we're_ going in there. Do not allow them to get away!"

Riley stopped at the entrance of the Chateau's yard, cursing under his breath at the fact that there was a small tree blocking their way. Setting Mira down, Riley used his free hand to conjure a small Aura Sphere powerful enough to completely obliterate the tree. "Come on," he said to Mira, "we have to hurry!"

The duo reached the front door to the abandoned mansion, Mira jiggling the doorknob rigorously. "It's no good! The door's locked!"

"Locked?"

' _Strange,'_ Riley thought to himself. _'I didn't think people here even did that…'_

Shaking his head, the man motioned for his younger friend to move to the side as he lifted up his leg and concentrated all of his energy into it. With a rough grunt, Riley kicked the old door open, causing a cloud of dust to arise in the house. Not wasting words, Mira and Riley ran inside and shut the door behind them, looking for any kind of furniture to block the door. Riley set the mysterious green-haired girl down and, with Mira's help, moved a large sofa in front of the closed door.

"That should buy us some time," Mira panted, wiping her head. "What are we going to do about the flower girl?"

"… The flower girl?"

"Yeah!" the younger girl piped up. "Since, you know, we found her in a forest. That makes her a flower girl!"

Riley chuckled at his friend's childish behavior. No child should grow up too fast, after all. The duo's light mood was quickly soured as they heard voices outside the chateau.

"They've got to be in there! Let's move in and finish them."

"Hell no! Remember what happened to the last person who went in there?"

"I remember. That… thing just up and fried their skin right off their bones! Bzzt-zap!"

"That's just some superstitious Tauros shit. We're wasting time here, people!"

"That's enough," a calm, clear voice spoke, silencing the others. "Our true business lies in Eterna City, does it not? A few whelps are not worth Team Galactic's time."

The grunts all voiced their sudden agreement and began to depart. While looking through a window, Mira could spot a tall, almost robotic man with light blue hair in a spiked fashion. After the grunts had all left, the man spun around quickly and looked Mira dead in the face. Her eyes widened as she let out a gasp, but she did not look away. The man gazed back at her with an emotionless expression, just… watching her, before leaving to join the others in Eterna.

"Mira? Are you alright?" Riley asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Y-Yeah," she muttered. "Just fine…"

The duo breathed a sigh of relief that Team Galactic decided not to pursue them, and then shared a glance at the green-haired woman lying down not too far away, still appearing to be asleep. As of right now, she was their priority.


	4. Cheryl's Song

"Those Team Galactic goons are always up to no good," a viridian-haired woman mused with a sigh as she watched the news. Apparently, the nefarious gang had taken a group of workers hostage at the Valley Windwork power plant near her hometown. This Team Galactic was notorious for snatching up people and Pokémon alike and performing all sorts of terrible experiments on them. Cheryl shook her head. While she feared for their safety, there was simply nothing she could do about the situation. She was an ordinary botanist whereas the Galactic Admins were rumored to have voluntarily undergone experiments to give themselves superhuman abilities on par with Pokémon themselves. Cheryl shuddered to think about running into them.

"Goodness, just look at the time!"

It was now 8AM, meaning that she was to leave for work right away. Despite all the chaos in the world, Cheryl loved her job. As a little girl, she had loved to walk outside and study the flora in her hometown. Floaroma Town was a lovely little place during the spring, and it was where Cheryl gained her love of Combee honey. Even so, little Cheryl could not help fantasizing about traveling Sinnoh and seeing other types of plant life. Today, she had been assigned to study the tall trees of Eterna Forest, but she would never have expected the events that would follow.

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"…Yes. Everything seems to be falling into play, Commander Saturn," a teal-haired grunt spoke into a futuristic headset. Surrounding her were two other grunts, all of whom were armed with sleek machetes.

"Excellent," a sinister voice replied. "Bring us the Moss Rock immediately. It is said to be at its highest peak of power at this time of day. Saturn out."

With that, the transmission ended and the grunts began to move out into the forest. At the same time, Cheryl was hiding behind a tree eavesdropping.

"What could they possibly want with the Moss Rock?" Cheryl asked herself in a whisper. The Moss Rock was not particularly well-known for anything aside from evolving Eevee into Leafeon, and Cheryl doubted Team Galactic even had that many Eevee to begin with. Besides, the fabled rock was rumored to have existed in the forest since the beginning of time! What right did those Galactics have to interfere with nature?

 _'Still, what could I possibly do about it?_ ' Cheryl wondered internally. Pokémon battles were out of the question. In the past few years, Team Galactic had really stepped up its game and would not hesitate to cheat by attacking and slaughtering Pokémon and trainers alike. All Cheryl had with her was her Chansey, and she was more of a healer than anything else. Besides, Cheryl refused to jeopardize her Pokémon's safety. Finding a safe little nook in a tree, she carefully placed her Chansey's Poké Ball in it and taped a piece of paper to the tree so that she wouldn't forget where it was. With this done, Cheryl left to confront Team Galactic and attempt to appeal to their better nature.

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To say that Cheryl had failed was an understatement. Not only did the grunts laugh in her face after she poured her heart out to them, they actually took offense and pointed their weapons at her!

"N-Now, now," Cheryl stuttered, backing away with her hands raised in surrender. "Let's not do anything crazy-"

"HA! You already crossed that line when you decided to get in our way!" the head grunt scoffed, her male companions laughing along with her. "Now stand aside or die!"

Looking back at the Moss Rock, Cheryl turned to the despicable people with a firm expression on her face.

"Never."

The head grunt and her squadron looked surprised for a moment, but then regained their composure. "My, my," she claimed in a condescending tone of voice, "I knew botanists were a bunch of tree huggers, but who would be foolish enough to put their life on the line for a grassy rock?"

"Not foolish. Fortitudinous."

"… What?"

"It takes courage to defend something you believe in even when the odds aren't in your favor," Cheryl spoke. "Courage and fortitude indeed."

"… But not brains, apparently," one of the male grunts snarled.

"You got guts, girly," another continued. "It's a real shame we gotta cut 'em outta ya now."

With that, the lead grunt stepped forward and slashed at Cheryl, who had just barely backed away enough to avoid taking a fatal hit. Her shoulder had been nicked slightly, but she was too frightened to notice. As she continued to back away, Cheryl tripped over a root and fell backwards onto the Moss Rock, wincing at the impact. The lead grunt walked up to her and raised both arms over her head, intending to finish the green-haired woman off. But fate had other plans that day.

"I'd say it was a pleasure meeting you, but it's not good to lie to a dying person," she said with a malicious grin, bringing the machete down. Time seemed to slow down as Cheryl raised her arms in defense, shutting her eyes tightly. Suddenly, large vines emerged from the ground and lifted the grunt off the ground by the neck.

"What-!?"

"The hell!?"

Cheryl slowly opened her eyes to see the grunt dangling a long ways from the ground, her companions desperately trying to cut her down.

"N-No, you… idiots…" she choked out, pointing a finger at Cheryl. The grunts immediately understood, charging headfirst at a frightened Cheryl, who instinctively raised her arms again. They were stunned when several grass knots appeared at their feet and left them tied to the ground. As they reached for their machetes, their arms were also tied down by the aggressive grass. Cheryl didn't know what to do.

'What is happening? Is… Is the forest protecting me? Am _I_ doing this?'

Cheryl watched in shock as the horror unfolded before her. Lost in her thoughts, she was unable to stop the vines from strangling the female grunt. She was powerless to prevent the more vines from appearing and pulling the other grunts higher and higher into the treetops, hanging them like puppets on strings. An audible crack sounded as the large vine dispatched the lead grunt, finally retreating back into the earth and letting the body to the floor. Cheryl felt sick to her stomach and as she attempted to get back up, she sank to her hands and knees and began to whimper. She would have cried then and there if she didn't feel vines creeping up her legs and wrapping them together tightly.

"What…? No…! Let me go!" the woman protested, thrashing about violently in an attempt to free herself. Unfortunately, this only made the vines and bark surround her even more, almost completely enveloping her body. As the plant life made its way to Cheryl's face, the last thing she saw was a glowing Moss Rock attaching itself to one of the vines and a person a fair distance away walking towards her…

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 **And that about does it for this chapter, ladies and gents. Apologies for taking so long to update this one, school has really taken its toll on me. Also, I'm preparing to move into a new house. But enough excuses! Thank you to that special guest who reviewed and those who followed/favorite this story so far! Next chapter should be up sometime tomorrow probably. In the next chapter, Cheryl will team up with our heroes, Riley and Mira, to take on the forces of evil! ... But not before some Chateau shenanigans first. Until then, au revoir!**


	5. A Shocking Turn of Events

"… And that's all I can remember," the woman mumbled, rubbing her eyes wearily.

"Wow," Mira awed, utterly amazed. "You took out all those jerks by yourself?"

"Pretty much," Cheryl replied somberly. She both feared and despised Team Galactic, but the thought of losing control like that… perhaps even _killing_ some of them, struck a nerve in Cheryl. She had such power now, but could she use it responsibly?

' _Interesting,'_ Riley thought to himself. _Then it appears I'm not the only unusual one around here…'_

"Say, Cheryl?" he questioned.

"Mmm?"

"Earlier, you mentioned something about the Moss Rock?"

"The Moss Rock… Oh, no," the green-haired woman muttered. "No, no, no…"

"What? What's wrong?" Mira asked innocently.

"Team Galactic might still be after it!" Cheryl exclaimed, rising from her chair. "You both encountered them along the path to Eterna City, right? They could still be lurking in the forest!"

"Now, hold on there, Cheryl," Riley spoke, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a stone. "Would this be the Moss Rock in question?"

"What… No, that couldn't possibly be it!"

"What? Why?"

"The Moss Rock is much larger, too large to be moved by a human! Besides, it's typically said to be covered in cool-to-the-touch moss," Cheryl explained. "This little rock is bare."

"Well, it's all we found," Mira shrugged, glancing at the rock. After hearing the green-haired woman's description, this looked like a pebble in comparison to the alleged mossy boulder.

"Cheryl, you said you felt power emanating from the rock when you fell on it, right?"

"Yes… It was… Oddly refreshing."

"Hmm," Riley mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "And then you discovered you could manipulate the nearby plant life?"

"In truth, I felt as if the plant life was manipulating _me_ ,' Cheryl admitted bashfully, rubbing her arm. Riley took note of how strangely adorable the woman before him appeared and felt blood rush to his cheeks, but he quickly fought it off and continued.

"I see… Well, going off of what you told us, it looks like there's only one logical explanation for all of this. The Moss Rock chose you, Cheryl."

"What…? What do you mean?"

"The Moss Rock must have sensed that you were in danger and gave you its power so that you would survive," the man in the blue suit reasoned. "Don't you see? The Moss Rock – and by extension, the forest itself – was trying to protect you!"

Cheryl blinked in realization. "You… You think so?"

"I know so," Riley claimed, giving her a warm smile. "It might not seem like it now, but you have a gift. How you use it is entirely up to you, but remember – with great power comes great responsibility."

"… You're right," the viridian-haired lady agreed, returning the smile. "I just have to learn how to be great… and responsible."

"Ahaha, well you've certainly been great company so far."

An awkward silence filled the air as both adults began fiddling with their hair and clothing, trying to think of something else to say. Ordinarily, little Mira would have said something by now, but upon looking around, Cheryl and Riley could see that the girl was nowhere to be found.

"Mira?" Riley called out. "Mira? Where'd you go?"

"She must have gotten bored and wandered off… We should find her soon. This chateau is giving me the creeps…"

"Right. I'll check the kitchen, could you look for her upstairs?"

"Certainly," Cheryl replied.

The two split up immediately to begin their search for their friend, unaware that Mira herself was going to experience something that would change her life forever.

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Mira sighed as she wandered the empty halls of the Old Chateau. She was grateful that Cheryl was okay and that she got along well with Riley, but seeing them together made her feel somewhat lonely. Mira wanted someone her age that she could talk to and be friends with. Heck, they didn't even have to be human!

"I miss Kadabra," the girl sniffed. Indeed, the Psyshic-type Pokémon had simply disappeared one day. Mira's mother told her that Kadabra must have run away, but Mira knew better. Kadabra loved Mira, but her mother hated the idea of her daughter growing up to be a Pokémon Trainer.

"She probably sold him…"

Mira continued to walk through the halls until she noticed light flickering from an open door. Upon reaching the door, the girl paused.

' _Should I really…?'_

Mira looked back and forth for a few seconds before cautiously slipping through the doorway and into the room. The room was rather run-down, as was the rest of the mansion, and old journals and the like were strewn about everywhere. But what had really caught the girl's attention was the TV sitting in the back of the room, flickering on and off rhythmically. Being the curious child she was, Mira felt compelled to walk forwards and reach out towards the TV screen, the flickering increasing dangerously as she moved closer. Finally, Mira reached her hand out so that it was only a few inches away from the screen, which had now taken on a strange orange glow. She could feel the heat and electricity emanating from the TV, but she didn't care. Suddenly, two blue ovals appeared on the now static-y screen.

"Wha…?"

Before she could even blink, a powerful surge of electricity coursed through Mira's small frame, rendering her unconscious almost immediately. As she slumped to the floor, the TV's static increased tenfold until the appliance shut off entirely, seemingly drained of its power.

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Riley breathed slowly as he crept through the kitchen and into the chateau's dining hall. He knew that the abandoned mansion usually harbored at least a few Ghost-types, but he sensed something else in the room. At last, Riley could see the faint figure of an elderly man on the other side of the dining table, nervously setting plates.

' _Strange,'_ he thought. _'I hadn't detected his aura…'_

"Excuse me, sir? Are you alright?" the younger man asked.

"Busy, busy, so busy… Mustn't disappoint the young Master…"

Now Riley was confused. "Uh, hello? Sir?"

The man continued to ignore Riley, making sure each and every salad fork was in its proper place. Riley sighed in frustration, getting the feeling that this man was either incredibly dedicated to his job… or was incredibly hard of hearing. Riley was about to leave when the sound of a shattering plate reached his ears. Turning around swiftly, he saw that the elderly man was now fretting over a plate that had indeed shattered upon hitting the ground.

"No, no, this will never do… I'll have to do better…"

Suddenly, the man began to levitate off of the ground and passed through a nearby wall, likely going to retrieve a broom. Riley only looked after him in slight surprise. Although, considering the many things Riley had seen in his twenty-four years of life, he shouldn't have been too shocked that human ghosts existed.

"Right," he muttered. "I better regroup with Cheryl and find Mira-"

Suddenly, a loud scream was heard from upstairs, snapping Riley out of his thoughts. Without thinking, the man immediately sprinted through the nearest doorway until he was in the main hall. Running up the stairs, Riley could feel his heart and thoughts racing as he called out to his companions.

"Mira! Cheryl! Where are you!?"

"Riley! We… We're in here!"

Rushing past multiple doors, Riley finally reached the one he thought he heard Cheryl's voice come from and nearly kicked the door down in his haste. Upon reaching the room, Riley saw something that made his stomach turn in both shock and fear. Cheryl was sitting on the floor, cradling an unconscious Mira, the young girl's veins flashing with an eerie orange-pink glow. The green-haired woman looked up at Riley, tears of fear and worry in her eyes. The combined sight of that and Mira's current state nearly drove Riley to tears as well as he kneeled down and placed a hand on Mira's forehead, noticing that she was burning up terribly. Mira's face contorted slightly in pain, her hands twitching uncontrollably.

"This is no good," Cheryl sniffed. "We've got to get her to a Pokémon Center, fast!"

"You're right," Riley nodded. "But what if Team Galactic is still blocking the path?"

"If push comes to shove, we shove them back!"

Without waiting, Cheryl stood up and ran out of the room and down the stairway, Riley close behind.

' _Whatever happens, we gotta make it,'_ Riley thought to himself grimly. _'We gotta._ '

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 **Hoo boy… Well that was a doozy. To be honest, this chapter kinda wrote itself and I'm sure it shows... ^^; Let me know through a review or PM about any questions/comments/concerns you may have. See you in the next chapter!**


	6. Birth of a Hero

**Hello ! I am back in action with another chapter of Rise of the Sinnoh Saviors! I'm terribly sorry for being so inconsistent and taking so long to update stories, but I've been under a lot of pressure lately. REGARDLESS! ... I'm not really sure what else I should say. :P This is definitely my longest chapter in this story so far (and possibly my longest piece on here overall) at a whopping 2400 words! Wow... Er, anyways, in the last chapter, Mira got shocked by a mysterious TV in the Old Chateau, so let's see what happens next!**

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" _Kadabra, use Psybeam on that rock!"_

 _The yellow Psychic type raised its spoon up high telekinetically and released a powerful beam of energy, striking a nearby boulder. To Mira's disappointment, nothing happened._

" _Oh… That's alright, Kadabra. You did your best," Mira spoke with a soft smile that dissipated once her companion was back in their ball. The young girl sighed. Now she had really done it. All she wanted was to go on an adventure and play with the cute Gible said to be in a nearby cave. How was she supposed to know there were two caves in the same area? Suddenly, the realization sank in. What if she never got out of here? She couldn't remember which way was which in this cave, and she couldn't destroy the boulders blocking her way regardless. She was trapped._

" _Why," sniffed Mira, now sitting on the cavern floor and hugging her knees. "Why did this happen? I didn't want this. I just wanted to prove Mom wrong…"_

 _As the girl sobbed, she failed to hear footsteps approach her._

" _Excuse me? Are you alright, little girl?"_

 _Startled, Mira looked up to see two young Pokémon trainers, perhaps no older than sixteen, looking at her with concerned expressions. The boy of the duo had a red beret resting atop his head while the girl with strangely blue hair wore a knit cap. Both teens looked as if they were prepping for a winter storm, if their coats were any indication._

" _Here," the older girl spoke gently, helping Mira to her feet. "Are you lost?"_

 _Mira nodded, her pink pigtails nearly whipping the blue-haired girl as a result. The boy gave Mira a sympathetic look and gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Poor girl. Let's get you out of this cave."_

 _The boy sent out a Machop and ordered it to smash the boulders as the older girl took Mira by the hand and led her through the cave, making conversation in an attempt to lighten the mood._

" _By the way, I'm Dawn. That dork over there is Lucas."_

" _Hey!" the boy protested. "I am NOT a dork!"_

 _Dawn giggled before turning to the pink-haired girl. "And your name is?"_

" _M-Mira."_

" _Mira… That's a pretty name!"_

" _Th-thanks," Mira stuttered, blushing. If an older, prettier girl called her name pretty, she MUST have been telling the truth._

 _Finally, after more trekking and jokes at Lucas's expense, the trio made their way out of the cave. Mira thanked the older pair many times over before they took their leave, but not before asking a question that was on her mind for a while now._

" _Hey, are you two a couple?"_

" _W-w-what!? No!" Both teens shouted, blushing profusely._

" _Ha! Just playing," Mira said with a wink. She wasn't entirely convinced, however. "Will I ever see you guys again?"_

" _Sinnoh's not that big once you disregard all the mountains," Lucas smiled. "I'm sure we'll meet again."_

" _Yeah," Dawn added hopefully. "Maybe we can battle next time too!"_

 _The group shared a laugh before going their separate ways, Lucas mentioning a contest in Hearthome City and Dawn chasing after another Gym Badge. Mira stood near the tall grass, staring into a puddle thoughtfully._

" _When I get older, I wanna be just like them…"_

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"…Ra…"

"Mi… wa… p…"

"… Mira… Wake up, please!"

Mira bolted up in the hospital gurney, now fully awake. Standing beside her bed were Riley, Cheryl, and Nurse Joy, all of their facial expressions changing from worried to relieved within seconds.

"Where… Are we?"

"You're in the Pokémon Center, silly," Nurse Joy giggled. "Don't worry, dear. There's nothing to worry about now."

"Yeah," Riley sheepishly added. "You really gave us a scare, but the doctors said that you'll be fine."

"Still… Do you remember what happened, Mira?" Cheryl inquired. "It's not normal to just pass out like that, and given where we were at the time…"

"I remember… something," Mira struggled. "There was… a TV… and the screen was orange?"

"That's enough for now, Mira," Nurse Joy said in an oddly cheerful way as she ushered Cheryl and Riley towards the door. "We'll be right back. May I have a word with you two? Out in the hall?"

As soon as the door shut, Mira hopped to her feet and silently crept about until her ear was pressed to the door.

"… T-The Old Chateau!? Are you both insane?! Don't you know the legend?" Nurse Joy exclaimed.

"We were being pursued by Team Galactic and Cheryl was unconscious. We didn't exactly have many options to choose from. And what's this about a legend?"

"Riley, the legend has it that ghosts haunt the Old Chateau," Cheryl informed. "Not Ghost type Pokémon, mind you. _Human_ ghosts. What's more, an old friend of mine said that something else lives there… Something dangerous."

"You…You don't think…?"

Mira was stunned. She had no idea that there were ghosts in that old mansion, let alone that one may have made contact with her. Suddenly, she heard the doorknob turn. Time seemed to slow down as Mira tried to sprint back to the gurney, only to find herself unable to move. She shut her eyes and prepared to be discovered as the unthinkable happened. In a flash of pink light, Mira's entire body was suddenly back on the hospital bed!

'What the-?!'

"Mira, sweetheart," Nurse Joy called out timidly, poking her head in the door. Cheryl and Riley entered behind the nurse, their faces grim. "We have something to tell you…"

The young girl's heart raced as numerous questions began to fill her mind. What just went down? Was she still sleeping? Why was Nurse Joy speaking to her in a tone of voice that suggested something terrible was going to be revealed?

"While you were out, the doctors scanned you and… well," Nurse Joy trailed off, instead deciding to hand Mira the papers in her rather shaky hands. Mira politely took the documents and began reading the doctors' notes.

" _Her molecular structure is... strange. She's perfectly solid, and yet…"_

" _No burns, no sign of injury… That woman said the girl was electrocuted though…"_

" _Never seen a case like this before… It's like she could disappear at any moment…"_

Unsure how to feel, Mira turned to the last page of notes, which was actually a full body x-ray image of her. Nothing looked broken or injured, but her heart appeared to have some sort of pinkish-orange glow. There was one last footnote at the bottom of the page.

" _ **KEEP AWAY FROM TEAM GALACTIC AT ALL COSTS."**_

"What…?" Mira asked softly, turning to her older friends with sheer confusion in her young eyes.

"Mira…" Cheryl began, her fingers drumming the side of her leg nervously, "we know this must come as a shock to you… Especially after Riley protected you from them…"

"What does Team Galactic want with me? What _am_ I?" The girl cried, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Nurse Joy glanced around the room nervously, as if expecting something. Riley crouched by Mira's side and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Mira. You're going to be just fine," he reassured with a small smile, although his mind had several questions. This seemed to be enough for the little girl, whose tears quickly stopped and were replaced by a gleam of hope once more.

"I had no idea you were so good with children, Riley," Cheryl piped up, smiling. Riley's face reddened, but he pulled the brim of his hat down to hide it.

"Ahaha, well, I certainly try…"

The trio shared a laugh before looking around the room to see that Nurse Joy was nowhere to be found.

"That's… odd," Riley muttered. The nurse was somewhat odd, but to suddenly up and leave? Something was amiss. Agreeing with her blue-haired friend, Cheryl walked to the door with Mira in tow and peeked out into the hall to see where she had gone. The green-haired woman had bonded with Nurse Joy over their mutual love of medicinal herbs and the fact that they both had a Chansey, and so Cheryl believed that the nurse was a kindred spirit. What she had not expected to happen was for Nurse Joy to be standing at the end of the hall, speaking to a group of Team Galactic grunts and fearfully pointing towards the room Mira was assigned to.

"Riley, we have to get out of here," Cheryl spoke quickly.

"But why- "

"Tap into your Aura Vision!"

Riley, not one to argue, did as he was told.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… We have to get out of here," the Aura Guardian concluded.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Cheryl exclaimed, grabbing Mira's hand and sprinting out the doorway and into the hall.

Now Mira was _really_ confused. "What? What's wrong? Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here!" Riley shouted from behind them, now being shot at by some sort of laser. The trio bustled past several nurses and Pokémon Center staff members who just barely managed to avoid being vaporized.

"Stop! In the name of Team Galactic, you're under arrest!" a grunt declared, brandishing what appeared to be an electrified boomerang. As Cheryl and Mira rounded a corner, the grunt threw his weapon at Riley, who merely ducked. The force of the boomerang hitting the wall caused it to fly backwards, and Riley just managed to slide underneath it as the weapon soared through the hall, hitting its owner in the face and frying them severely.

"Oh, that is it!" another grunt cried, clearly displeased with his associate's ultimate failure. He pulled out a Poke Ball and tossed it into the air, releasing a Golbat. The other grunts in the group followed suit, and soon Cheryl, Mira, and Riley found themselves encircled by the swarm of Bat Pokémon. The two adults stood with their backs facing each other and Mira between them, fully intent on protecting the girl.

"Now, now," a mysterious voice spoke. The grunts panicked upon recognizing the voice and stood to the sides of the hallway, practically kneeling in respect, although they did not recall their Pokémon. Footsteps became louder and louder until a woman finally stood opposite the trio, smiling at them callously underneath the mask that concealed her face from the nose downwards. She was garbed in a strange dark coat that went to her ankles, and she had strange metal gauntlets on her hands. Perhaps most intimidating about her was the tinted visor she wore over her eyes, hiding them.

"Who are you?" Cheryl demanded, pushing Mira behind her protectively. Riley stood behind Mira in case anyone attempted a sneak attack, but kept an eye on the strange woman just in case. Something about her seemed darkly familiar…

"Sorry, sweetheart, but I didn't fly all the way here to play a game of 20 Questions," the woman replied coldly. "My client only wants to speak to the girl, that's all. Just hand her over and make my job easier."

"What?" Cheryl cried. "No!"

"Wait a minute," Riley interjected, putting a finger to his head.

"Riley!" Cheryl admonished. "You can't seriously be thinking about- "

"No, not that. Her voice, it… I've heard it before."

"Really, Riley? After all these years, you still don't remember that it's rude to talk about people right in front of them?" the mystery woman taunted. "Well, you always _were_ my favorite, so I suppose I should at least grace you with the truth."

Before anyone could protest, the woman grabbed her mask and let it fall to the floor, her visor soon following it.

"Hunter J," Riley spat venomously, the memories all beginning to flood back.

"Hunter J?" Mira asked with a raised eyebrow.

"In the flesh," J replied calmly. "After your little stunt on the airship, I just knew I'd have to deal with you myself eventually. But to attack you now, what with your girlfriend and little sister watching… Well, it'd just be a tragedy."

"G-Girlfriend?!" Riley sputtered, his face reddening.

"I-I'm not… We're not a…" Cheryl attempted to protest, blushing deeply. J let out a dark chuckle.

"Look, I really could not give less of a damn about either of you," J remarked, the evil smile leaving her face. "You are going to hand the girl over to me, or you will both fall by my hand and I'll simply take her myself."

Riley and Cheryl both glanced at Mira, then at J, then at each other before finally looking back at J.

"Never."

"… Well, I figured as much. Everyone wants to be a hero these days," J remarked darkly, pushing a few buttons on her left gauntlet. Within seconds, a ball of energy began to form and focus until it sparked with electricity. Without warning, J fired the energy ball at Cheryl, who stood defensively in front of Mira, completely willing to take the hit. Suddenly, Riley leapt in front of her and knocked the energy ball away with an odd staff-like weapon. The ball flew into a nearby Golbat, which quickly turned to stone afterwards. Mira gasped in shock and horror as Cheryl attempted to shield the girl's eyes. The Galactic grunts stood and brandished their weapons menacingly, closing in on our beloved trio. As Mira began to shake and tear up in fear, her body emitted a light pink glow. J didn't notice, however, and began charging another energy shot, this one nearly four times as large.

"At least if I hit the girl, I can always change her back at headquarters," the bounty hunter muttered to herself with an evil grin. Mira gripped at both Riley and Cheryl's clothes, crying. As the older pair turned to comfort her, they were surprised to see that Mira's entire body was glowing pink.

"Mira, you're…!"

"Say goodnight, Riley!" J cried, releasing the energy blast and creating a huge explosion. When the dust cleared, her evil smirk dissipated once she realized that the petrified, stone figures of the heroic trio was nowhere to be found. Ironically enough, every single one of the grunts and their Golbat were turned to stone by the blast. The sole exception was the Golbat that was accidentally blasted beforehand, which stumbled around for a bit before collapsing, unable to battle.

"Arceus damnit," J swore under her breath, pressing a few more buttons on her gauntlet until she could see a screen reading positive results. Seeing the data made her smirk sinisterly once more.

"Well, at least one thing is certain. The girl Cyrus is after definitely has the potential Team Galactic needs…"

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 **Hooooooly crap, that was intense. x_x As to why I introduced Lucas and Dawn in the first part of the chapter, this story may not be about them, but they'll definitely come into play later. Who knows, they may even get their own story someday... Nya ha ha! But yeah... This chapter is kinda long because I wanted to kick off the new year with a bang that doubles as a "Thank You" who's even peeked at this fanfiction before. Also, I know there are a few other stories of mine I haven't updated in forever, but I'm slowly making a comeback. Geez, listen to me blabber... Well, if anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to leave it in a review or PM! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year Everyone!  
**


	7. A Speedy Recovery

"What?" Cyrus asked in a disturbingly calm tone. "What do you mean they disappeared?"

"W-well, just t-that, Sir. Our recently de-petrified troops report that she fired d-directly at them, b-but they just…"

The nervous grunt shifted around nervously under the robot-like man's gaze. Standing at either of Cyrus's sides were the three Galactic Commanders, none of whom were pleased with the report either. One of them, a woman with red hair in a bizarre shape, was the first to speak.

"You fools! How could you fail Master Cyrus in such a way!?"

"That is enough, Mars," the Galactic Leader replied, massaging his temple with his hand. "You are dismissed, grunt."

"Y-yes, sir…!"

The grunt hurried out of the room quickly, and the commanders looked at their superior with great surprise.

"Sir, with all due respect," a man with curved-upwards blue hair began, "don't you think you were a bit easy on them? You normally do not tolerate failure."

"…You are right, Commander Saturn," Cyrus started again, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "However, this failure in particular matters not to me. Now we have proper confirmation that the girl and her accomplices are not simply mere humans. They have great potential, and while the girl's is manifesting at a faster than anticipated rate, she will be in our clutches well before the League can take her in. In the meantime, Jupiter! Are our units in Eterna City ready to commence the operation?"

"Yes, Master Cyrus," the Galactic Commander with purple hair responded. "Shall I ready a transport and meet them there?"

"Yes. However, I shall be joining you to ensure that our plans do not fail…"

With that, Cyrus stood from his chair and left the room, Jupiter trailing close behind.

"Ugh. What's so special about that little brat anyway?" Mars inquired irritably. "And why does SHE get to go with Master Cyrus?"

"At ease, Mars. Jupiter merely has a bit more experience in the field than you do," Saturn replied coolly. The red-haired commander huffed and exited the room in a hurry, mumbling something under her breath. Saturn payed it no mind and returned to his station, not doubting his master for even a second.

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Mira sat up from the grassy earth and groaned, holding her head. It felt like her brain was in many different areas at once. All she could remember was clutching onto her friends for dear life, not even daring to look at the evil woman about to destroy them. Just where were they? And for that matter, where was _she_? The first thing Mira noticed was that she seemed to be on a hill overlooking a sleepy-looking town. The place looked rather plain, making the odd, planet-like structure looming in the distance all the more jarring.

"Hey! Are you alright, little girl?"

The pink-haired girl nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her. Turning around to face the source, she could see that the voice belonged to an older blonde boy in a funny striped sweater and a scarf. He seemed to be almost vibrating in place, and the almost comically serious frown on his face made Mira start to snicker.

"HEY! What are you laughing at!? I'm trying to make sure you're not hurt and this is the thanks I get? Unbelievable! If you weren't so young, I'd fine you right off the bat!"

"I'm sorry," Mira giggled. "Where are we, anyway? And who are you?"

"I'm Barry! You know, future Champion of Sinnoh and all that? Well, looks like that dream's on hold since those space dandies came along, but I'm not giving up! Anyway, right now it looks like we're right on top of Eterna City! Sure it seems like a dull place, but… well, to be honest, it is! This place is downright boring! I don't understand how people can even visit this dump, let alone live he- "

"Wait a minute! You said this is Eterna City, right?"

"That's correct," the blonde boy stated matter-of-factly. "By the way, it's rude to interrupt people, you know!"

"Sorry," Mira apologized. "It's just… I lost my friends. We were all traveling here together before…"

"… Before?"

Mira was about to explain further when they heard a cry for help.

"Aiyeeeh! Someone, please!"

Without thinking, Barry grabbed Mira by the back of the neck and in the blink of an eye, the duo was hidden in the shadows of a nearby house. Peering from their hiding spot, the older blonde boy could see that a hooded woman was being harassed by two strange men in teal bowl cut hairstyles and space suits, looking none too pleased.

"For Arceus's sake, shut the hell up! No one is stupid enough to cross paths with us! Other than that pathetic husband of yours."

"Stay here," Barry whispered to the little girl behind him. Mira opened her mouth to protest, but was left with the _whoosh_ of wind as he took off faster than a Rapidash. The girl peered out after him, watching to see what he'd do.

"HEY!" Barry yelled, stealing the grunts' attention away from the woman. "What's the big idea here? And what's with those dorky outfits?"

"Who the-?! Oh, it's just some kid," the other grunt grumbled. "Beat it, brat! This is official Team Galactic business we're conducting here!"

"Oh yeah? You and what conductor?"

"You wanna meet him for yourself?" the first grunt questioned threateningly.

"Not if his style is anything like yours," Barry chortled. "What is this, an eighties flick?"

"Oh, that is it! I'm calling backup on your little punkass right no-"

Before the grunt could finish his sentence, Barry felt every one of his molecules flare up with energy. His feet began to move and in the blink of an eye, the boy had already dashed up to the grunt's side and delivered a powerful punch to the man's chest. The force of such a fast and painful impact send the man flying into a nearby tree, shattering his ribs and back. The other grunt looked at Barry with wide, fearful eyes as he reached for what looked to be an electric baton.

' _Not today, slowpoke.'_

In a flash, Barry had already delivered a harsh uppercut to the grunt's chin, something that would have undoubtedly killed the man if not for the boy holding back. Instead, the grunt merely slumped onto the ground, unconscious. Mira, meanwhile, was in shock. What had just happened? A moment ago, two grunts were threatening them, and now they were on the ground, battered and broken. Barry turned to the woman that the grunts were hassling. Her one visible eye was wide with fear, but she did not flee.

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

"Y-yes… I th-think so. Thank you."

"Not a problem, ma'am. Now where's this husband those jerks were just talking about?"

The woman raised a shaky finger towards the large, planet-like building in the distance. Odd spikes appeared to jut from the sides, giving an ominous appearance.

"Ah, okay! I'll get him back for you, miss!"

"Y-you can't! It's too dangerous! You'll be killed for certain if they find you!"

"If they can catch me, that is," Barry winked. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. It's her I'm worried about."

The woman turned to see Mira standing behind them, still shocked at the quick skirmish.

"What... How did you...?"

"Look, kiddo," Barry began, placing a hand on Mira's shoulder. "I'm about to do something really intense. I'm not too worried about myself, but I can't just let a little kid tag along for something so dangerous! Besides, you couldn't keep up with me!"

"I could so," Mira huffed. "Besides, my friends are missing too! Maybe if we team up, we can find them faster!"

"Tch… Alright. We'll go together. But you better stay close to me at all times! And don't get in my way, or I'm fining you big time! I mean it, too!"

Mira giggled. "Deal."

"Well, looks like that's settled then. Be safe, you two," the hooded woman nodded. Barry grabbed Mira by the back of the neck and both of them were gone in an instant. Now alone, the woman removed her hood to reveal long, silky blonde hair underneath it. She pulled a strange phone-like device out of her coat and began speaking into it.

"Looker, this is Agent Cynthia. The girl is approaching the Eterna City HQ with Palmer's son. Recommended course of action?"

"Watch them from the shadows, but do not directly interfere no matter what," a hoarse voice spoke over the device. "They cannot yet know about our presence."

"Roger. Cynthia out."

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 **Oh my… the plot thickens! Mira and speedy new friend Barry are going to tackle Team Galactic's operations in Eterna, but where are Cheryl and Riley? What could this Cynthia character and her associates possibly want with Mira and her friends? What is Team Galactic's ultimate goal here? How can our pink-haired heroine find her beloved friends? Find out in the next chapter of Rise of the Sinnoh Saviors!**


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